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Thought For Today - January 22, 3035
How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, O Lord?
By: Robert A. Searles
"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long wilt thou
hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having
sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the
sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and
those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy
mercy, my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the
Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13.
There are times in all our lives when it seems that the Lord has
forgotten us and hidden his face from us, and abandoned us to the
mercies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This was true in David's
life, a man who was a chosen vessel unto God, and a man after God's own
heart, and it is true also in our lives as well.
When we are left without the fellowship and nearness of the Lord we are
prone to sorrow, despair, depression, and it seems that the world, the
flesh, and the devil presses in upon us. It seems that our enemy, the
devil is exalted over us.
Sometimes our eyes are blinded to the presence of God by some sin in
our lives, or the failure on our part to carry out a vow or a promise
that we have made to him. Sometimes it is because we have not read God's
messages to us from his word, or have not been in proper communication
with him through prayer, and have not been listening to the voice of the
Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts. Sometimes, I believe God is testing
us to see if we really believe in him and trust him in times when he
obscures himself from us for a little while.
God always honors our faith in his word when we have nothing else but
the word of his promise, and we just simply believe for no other reason
than just because it is written in God's word. God sees our faith and
counts it as righteousness.
Though David felt far from God, though he felt that God was hiding his
face from him and abandoning him, yet he knew and believed the promises
of God's word that his mercy endureth forever, and that he would never
leave nor forsake him. So, David kept pounding on God's door, as it
were, even though it seemed that God was not at home for a little while.
Even before the joy of David's salvation was returned to him, even
before his fellowship with God was restored, David believed and trusted
in the mercy of God, and he knew that his heart would once again rejoice
in the salvation of the Lord. He said: "I will sing unto the Lord,
because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
When we feel that God has forgotten us, and that he is hiding his face
from us, and has abandoned us; when we sense that our enemy, the devil
is exalted over us; lets remember the written promises of the word of
God that his mercy endureth forever, and that he will never leave us nor
forsake us. Lets examine ourselves to see if there be any sin in our
lives that needs to be confessed. Lets read God's messages to us through
his word over and over to see if we have missed any important
information from God. Lets stay in constant communication with God
through prayer, and lets be constantly on the alert to hear God speak to
our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Then, at times when it seems that God is not at home., lets keep
pounding on God's door anyway, and even before our fellowship and joy is
restored, lets trust in the mercy of God and rejoice in our renewed
fellowship with God, even before we have it This is faith. God honors
faith and counts our faith as righteousness. Lets lift up our hearts
and sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with us no
matter how we might feel at the moment.
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Psalm 26:7
